Find Fort Wayne Genealogy Records
Fort Wayne genealogy records are easier to access than in almost any other Indiana city, thanks in large part to the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center, one of the largest genealogy research facilities in the United States. Beyond the library, the Allen County Health Department holds birth and death records going back to 1882 for persons born within Fort Wayne city limits, and the county clerk maintains court records including marriages and estates. This page covers the main offices, fees, hours, and what you can expect to find at each location.
Fort Wayne Quick Facts
Allen County Vital Records in Fort Wayne
The Allen County Health Department is located in Citizens Square at 200 E. Berry Street, third floor, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. The phone number is 260-449-7147. This office is the primary source for birth and death certificates in the Fort Wayne area. Certified birth certificates cost $20, and certified death certificates also cost $20. A non-certified death copy is available for $3. If you are doing genealogy research and need to search multiple names, the health department charges $25 for a search covering one to five names.
One thing to know about Allen County records: birth records begin in 1882 for persons born inside Fort Wayne city limits, but records for persons born outside the city limits do not start until 1887. This five-year gap matters if you are tracking a rural ancestor who may have been born just outside town. If you are unsure whether an address fell inside or outside the city limits at the time of birth, health department staff can sometimes help you figure that out.
Death records follow a similar pattern. Indiana law under IC 16-37 governs vital records statewide. Records for persons who could still be living, generally those born within the last 75 years, may be restricted under IC 5-14-3-4. Genealogy researchers typically need to show that the person is deceased or was born more than 75 years ago to access older records without a direct relationship to the subject.
The Allen County Health Department provides birth and death records for Fort Wayne residents going back to 1882, with fees and search options clearly listed on its records page.
The Citizens Square location is accessible by public transit, and walk-in requests are accepted during business hours with a valid photo ID.
The Genealogy Center at Allen County Library
The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library is one of the most recognized genealogy research facilities in the country. The mailing address is P.O. Box 2270, Fort Wayne, IN 46801, and you can reach them at 260-421-1225 or by email at Genealogy@ACPL.Info. The Center holds materials for every U.S. state and many foreign countries, making it useful not only for Indiana research but also for tracing family origins in other states and nations.
For Indiana researchers, one of the most valuable holdings at the Genealogy Center is its microfilm collection of marriage records for 31 of Indiana's 92 counties. This is a significant resource if your ancestor's marriage took place in a county whose original records were damaged or destroyed. The Center also holds county histories, city directories, military records, newspaper obituaries, and published family genealogies that are hard to find elsewhere.
Staff at the Genealogy Center are trained in genealogy research and can help you form a strategy if you are stuck. They cannot do the research for you, but they can point you to sources you may have missed. The Center is free to use for anyone with a library card, and non-residents can get a guest pass. Check the library's website for current hours before visiting, as hours can vary by season.
The Genealogy Center holds microfilm of marriage records from 31 Indiana counties along with thousands of published family histories and local records that make Fort Wayne a destination for genealogy researchers from across the region.
The Center offers both in-person research assistance and an online catalog that lets you check what materials are available before making the trip to Fort Wayne.
Allen County Clerk Court Records
The Allen County Clerk is located in Room 201 of the Allen County Courthouse at 715 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne. The Clerk's Office keeps court records including marriage licenses, probate files, and civil court documents. For genealogy, the Clerk is the right place to look for marriage licenses not yet captured in the Genealogy Center's holdings, as well as estate filings and guardianship records.
Marriage licenses are public records in Indiana and can generally be accessed without demonstrating a relationship to the parties involved. Probate records, including wills and estate inventories, are also public and can be rich sources of genealogy data. They often list heirs by name, describe property, and sometimes include details about where family members lived or came from.
The Clerk's Office accepts in-person requests during business hours. Call ahead if you need a large number of copies, as some older records may be on microfilm and require extra time to locate. For the most recent court filings, the Indiana Court's public access portal at mycase.in.gov is a free online option.
Note: Allen County is part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit in Indiana. Some older court records may have been transferred to the Indiana Archives and Records Administration at 6440 E. 30th Street in Indianapolis.
State Resources for Fort Wayne Research
Even if your ancestor lived in Fort Wayne their whole life, state-level resources can fill gaps in county records. The Indiana State Library's Genealogy Division at 315 W. Ohio Street in Indianapolis holds statewide materials including newspapers, county histories, and death indexes. The library's genealogy room is free to use and the collection is extensive.
The Indiana Archives and Records Administration at researchIndiana.iara.in.gov holds government records transferred from state agencies. Some older Allen County court records may be found here if they were transferred from the county. The Indiana Historical Society at indianahistory.org keeps manuscript collections and photographs that can add personal detail to a genealogy file.
FamilySearch maintains a free Indiana genealogy guide at familysearch.org that lists Allen County sources specifically. The Indiana Genealogical Society at indgensoc.org is another good connection point, especially if you want to link up with other researchers who may already have done work on the families you are tracking.
Nearby Cities with Genealogy Pages
Other Indiana cities near Fort Wayne have dedicated genealogy record pages covering local offices and research resources.
For county-wide resources in Allen County, including links to additional offices and records collections, see the Allen County genealogy page.